Flexible coupling.



h. L. ALLEN.

FLEXIBLE COUPLING APPLICATION FILED NOV.4.1912

1 ,1 14,326. Patented Oct. .20, 1914.

M nvzsan; //V4/E/V fora 6%) 74/! MM Wu ,6; am, 744 Kay fi t/F 2 7 T To AZNE y- *UinTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY L. A Lm or CLEVELAND, OHIO.

FLEXIB E COUPLING.

7 Specification of Letters Patent. Oct; 1914,

T all-whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HARRY L. Annex, a citizen ofthe United States,'. residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Ii'npi'ovement in Flexible Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying.drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide .a. simple and effective coupling adapted to the heads of each link, i

connect two shafts alinement.

My coupling provides driving and driven members (which maybe wheels or spiders on the respective shafts) and a polygon of between the members connected to them alternately at the angles ofthepolygon. v

the polygon mentioned. These links each consist of heads connected by a flexible cable, and, more particularly, by a cable secured at its ends to one of the 'heads and passing intermediately in opposite directions around the other head and then looping arbund the bead first 'mentioned.

By.this means I attain great flexibility of thelinks, and, at the same time, proper strength -to enable an effective driving.

Moreover, by eccentrically mounting one of adjustment for taking up the slack of the cables. I I

The invention is hereinafter more fully explained and theessential characteristics are set outin the claims,

In the drawing Figure 1 is a section between the driving and driven members of the coupling, showing the polygon of links and one of the members, the studs connected with the other member being shown in seetion. and certain openings in the latter memher being represented by broken lines; Fig. l is a crcss section of the coupling lengthise of tin shafts to be coupled as indicated the line. -.'=.".--3 on Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side 'ation oione of the-links; Fig. 4.15 an edge view of such link; Fig. 5 is'a detail,

.reing a section through one of the heads of a lil1'k,'showinf1 themeaus for securing the of the cable.

Referring by numerals to the parts shown in the drawings, 1 and represent the drivwhich are not in strict.

e present invention is concernedprin-' cipally with the construction and 'adjustment of the flexible links which constitute provide a simple- Application filed November 1912. Serial No. 4729:h'

3 which aredesigned to be rigidlysecured to thetwo shafts which it-is desired to couple.

3 indicates flexible links which are arshown) and 4 indicates studs connecting l the salient angles of the'polygon with the fmembers 1 and 2 alternately. Each stud P passes through the head of two links, which overlap each other, as will be understood. 1 Each link 3 comprises a head 10, a head '11,

.tl1e stud and provided with-an eirtehsion'or boss 15 i'hai'n'ng 'inwardlyi enlarging rej cesses 16 ar'idll'i, for securing the ends of'the I cable, as hereinafter explained. @About the extends for a; "semicireumference on the the form of adisk and' hasia boltopening QO,

and 22. The cable 12, which is preferably wardly flaring direction tothe groove 21 of for a little more than asen'n-circumference and then passes to'thegroo've' 18 i'nvthe-head ble then lies in-the groove 18 and, leaving the opposite side of that groove, passes by a reach 28 to the groove-'22 and about that groove for approximatelya semi-'cireui'nference, and then passes by a reach 29 to the The cavities 16 and 17m flaredinwardly from the end of thebdss-15,-as shown in ends bent back on themse ves for a short distance; then the ends are pulled back into the cavitieaas shown in Fig. 5; and the molten lead outed into place through the bore of the cad, the lead passing in between the strands of the cableiand over the ranged in a polygon (a hexagon being i periphery ofthis headis a groove 18 which of who, has one, '25- secured within the recess '16, and; from this 'pointone reach, des1gnated-26,'of the cable,- passes inanoutthe head 11 andextends about-this groove ;ing and driven members of the' coupling,

I and a flexible cable 12"connecting the two heads.- I The head- 10 is of a general disk" form, having an".opening 14; surrounding outer 'edgeJofitHe heads "The -head -11 is in and, about the periphery twogrooves 214-.

10, this reach being designated 27. The cacavity 17 in the extension 15ofthe head-10.

Figs. 3'and 5, and then connect together by Y wires near the ends are se urated and the 5 otherwise secured to the twomembers of ends thereof Then thelboreld is reamed placed withinthe. loops of the cable, as shown in Figs.3 and 4 and theohe'ad's are put over the studs 4, which may be screwbolts having heads fiend are screwed or the coupling alternately. The ends of two links, "ofcourse, go on'each stud, and the links are --prcf'erabl'y turned in the same direction about the polygon. That is to say,

each stud {t carries one head 10 and one head 11.

-.ing studS,. Washeis35 are placed over. the

through the two heads 10 andll of adj a-" centlinks,-are then screwed into thedrivin shanks-of the bolt, the bolts are passed or driven member, as the case maybe, an'

then a nut 36 is preferably screwed-onto the projecting end of the bolt to efiectively. .lo'ckit.v

In order to adjust the links to make the cables taut in assembling, and tdreadjust.

them in case of -wear, I- mount the head 11 eccentrically on its stud 4:, thehol es. 20 being off the center for this purpose. Then, to tighten or loosen the cables, it is only necessary to givethe head a portion of a rotation about the/stud and clamp it in.

adjusted position. fSuch rotation may be given, it by a; suitable spanner wrench en gaging notches 38 in the peripher of the head. When adjusted, the head is clamped,

as by tighteningthe bolts 4, by a wrench applied to the heads 5 thereof. To allow the easy loosening of the bolts and tightening thereof beyondthe other member of the coupling, I lengthen the bolts and provide the elongated washers 35, heretofore referred to, which carry the bolt heads to a position where they-are easily accessible beyond the opposite side ofrthe other member of the coupling, eachfmember. of the coupling having openings through which the. bolts freely extend. These openings are preferably of an arc shape and are designated 6 and 7 in the drawings. To adjust the links, itis only necessary to loosen the jam nuts36 and apply a wrench on the bolt heads 35 and a spanner ontthe head 11. Then when the spanner has properly positioned the head, the-bolt is screwed hor'ne and the'iamfnut returned into place.

It wil be seen from the above description, that my coupling is very simple in construction and that there is nothin about it'to get out of order. -The cableorm .of

the link gives great flexibility to the coupling, enabling satisfactory driving with shafts fconsiderably, out of. alineznent or at a material angle to each other; while the eccentric mounting of the linlrheads allows links to be easily put in place whe I the cable is slack, the cable being then (I? by turning the head. Thisialsb provides while for heavier!"Work the mm awntaut 5 V her of turns may be increased. The two I grooves in the head 11 a tive of anynuinber of grooves, of the Having thus descri I claim is:,.

d-my iniiention, what 1; In a flexible-coupling, th'coinbinati n,

with a driving member and adriiien men. ber, ofa'polygon of separate links connected alternately at its angles to'the respective the one groove in the head 10 are'to be'taken as illustra 'head 11 preferablyexc edin -b one'those .oftheheadlo. -When.scre -bolts are used as the secur---.

members, each link 'consistin'gof twoheads,

one connected with one member and the itsends to one headxand-passinginterme diateiy around the other head. I 2. n a-flex'ibleeoupling, the combination,

with a driving and a driven member, ofa; link having'two heads, one. connected with,

one me'mber'andthe other with the other and having af' flexibl ciible secured: atjits" asssing-interinedi ends to one head and'ff ately around the otll'e'rl secur'edi I 3. In a' fie xiible boupling, the combination,- with a driyinga'nd a driven membeiji'of a link scented at one end to onernem'ber and ad and hen-asap: ing around which the "-ends are= to I other with the other and a cable secured-at at the other end to the ether member,'sai d link eomprising'a head havingan opening for the'passage of a securing bo1t,,a head at the other end of the link h'av'in an opening for the passage of a securing bofiz, and a flexible cable having its ends secured in a recess in the. head first mentioned and-intermediately passing around the other head.

4. In a flexible coupling, a link consistin i of a head with a boss on one side, a sccon head havinfia plurality'of 'groovesside by side and a. exi lecable havingits ends se cured within the boss on the firstnientionedhead and intermediatelylying in-reache's coves there'- around the second head in the of and then looping a'round t efirst mentioned head.

5.- a link, stame s coupling isaing'of a head having a securing opening-and a projectin boss and at least one groove in the heai -on the opposite side from the boss, 0; second head havin atlealst two was therein, and a fiexib e cable'having its end scfiured within the boss onthe first mentioned need and intermediatelyilooping Le'turned to stretch the cable,

around 'the heads, the cable makin I as many loops as there are groovesin t e second head. I V

6. In a flexible coupling, the combination,

--'w ith a drivingand adriven'niember, of a link connected at one end w th one memberthe other head, the last mentioned head being eccentrically mounted whereby it -may 7. In a. flexible coupling, the combination,

witha driving and a driven member, of a link secured at one endv to one member and at the other end to the other inember, this linl: comprising-a pair of heads and a flexiblc cable, said cable having its ends secured to onehead and passing intermediately about the periphery of the other head,. the

. last inentioned head having a -peripheral groove which. the cable occupies and having.

an eccentric hole through-which passes a bolt securing it to the member of the coupling. 3

8. {file combination, with a driving andla driven member, of a flex ble-link connected at one end to one member-and at the other end to the other member, said link comprising a pair 'of heads, one of which has a boss, theo'ther of which has peripheral grooves and an eccentric opening, through wh ch looping about the mentioned head, the

eccentrically mounted head having means whereby it may be turned-to adjust the tension on the cable:

"9. In a flexible coupling, the combination,

with a driving and adriven member, of a polygon of links between thein, bolts connecting such polygon at its angles respectively and alternately withfthemembers of the couplingfeaehmemberof the coupling having slots throughlwhich the bolts from I the opposite "coupling extend, whereby easyaccess to the bolt headis .provided, each link of the coupling consisting of two heads and a connecting cable and being provided with means for adjusting it at its bolt byturning one of the heads of the links when the securing bolt is loosened.

10., Ina flexible coupling, the combination of driving andidjriv'en members'sideby side, a polygon of;. links {between the I members, bolts securingthe polygon at its angles alternately to one ;member and the other, said links'each comprising two heads connected 'by ja flexible-cable," bolts .each passing through mantra of one link and thehead of "the adjacent link, one of the heads of each *link being eccentrically; mounted on its bolt,

there being means vfor-turning such eccentric head' when' the-bolt is loosened.

,- Intestim0ny wher'eof, I hereunto affix my signatnre'injthe presence of two witnesses. passes a bolt securing it to the-member, and a cable secured at its ends within said'boss and passing intermediately about the other head, occupying the grooves therein and HARRY L; ALLEN.

Witnesses:

Annnnr H. BATES,-

BRENNAN B. .Wnsi. 

